This Is Me
by Daisy J
Summary: When James Barnes got enlisted to fight in WWII, he promised himself he'd fight to protect his country, his wife, and his best friend. When Steve Rogers finally got accepted to fight, he made a promise to be a good man, not a perfect soldier. When Malia Kensington made it as an army nurse, she made a promise to heal others. But, as cliché as it sounds, destiny had different plans.
1. Chapter 1

_I am not a stranger to the dark_  
 _Hide away, they say_  
 _'Cause we don't want your broken parts_  
 _I've learned to be ashamed of all my scars_  
 _Run away, they say_  
 _No one'll love you as you are_

-This Is Me; **by Keala Settle + _The Greatest Showman_ Ensemble** (From _The Greatest Showman_ , 2017)

* * *

 **June, 1930**

* * *

Ana Novak grew up in Slovenia, the middle child of eight children, and the only daughter to her Romani parents. Life was, for the most part, difficult for the Novak family. Every member of the family had to work to contribute, to get enough money saved up to one day get out of their native country. But it seemed, no matter how hard they tried, there was always _some_ thing that set them back. It started when Ana's mother, Katja, died from illness. The day Katja fell ill, it took most of the family's earnings to get her medicine and a proper doctor. It took a lot of time and effort to find someone who was willing to help the Novaks. In their little community, they were shunned for being Romani. Sadly, when Katja's medication failed to work, and the doctor could find nothing else to assist in her recovery, it resulted in the Novak matriarch's death. Whatever remained of the family's funds went into a funeral and contacting family members.

By the time Ana had turned eleven, her father, Jakob, had become an abusive alcoholic, blowing whatever money the family earned on booze and women. Any plans the family had of leaving Slovenia had vanished in just two years. For Ana, however, she wasn't about to let herself stay, or even _die_ , in such a toxic environment. By the time she turned eighteen, she had saved up enough money for a one-way trip out of her home country. Her travels eventually led her to Hawaii, where she stayed for a number of years. She learned their language and their culture, even marrying a man native to the country. The couple ended up having two daughters, twins Malia and Kala. By the time the twins were four, their father died, which left Ana widowed with two young children. As a result of that, Ana chose to take her daughters and live somewhere else. While she enjoyed living in Hawaii, she couldn't stand living somewhere her husband wasn't. The small family chose New York as their latest home. It took a long time, and plenty of hardships, but they made it.

But it seemed as though things for the small family got more complicated. Over the summer, a young woman came to the small apartment Ana and her children lived in. The woman was Asian, claiming she had been watching the family for quite some time. She offered Ana and her children an opportunity to see something beautiful, to be _come_ something more. It was an offer that was taken with hesitation, but accepted nonetheless. The woman had introduced herself as Jiaying, promising that the family would be safe and happy in the community they were being sent to. But, it was a secret community, which meant the family couldn't even know where it was. Jiaying guided the family outside of their apartment building and into an alley, where another woman was waiting. The woman instructed for everyone to hold each other's hands, something Ana couldn't comprehend. Her daughters seemed a little eager to do so, grabbing each other's hands tightly before grabbing Ana's and Jiaying's. When everyone was finally touching, the woman transported them, instantly, to the community Jiaying had mentioned.

 **0 . 0 . 0. 0**

Over the course of seven years, during each summer without fail, Ana and her children would go to that community. Each summer, they'd meet the woman, who called herself Bella Rose, in the alleyway. Bella Rose had grown close to the family, had watched Malia and Kala grow and Ana work into her second marriage. She was always eager to transport the family from their home in Brooklyn to the community known as Afterlife.

Ana, Malia, and Kala had learned so much in Afterlife. They learned about their true _genetic_ heritage; that they were the descendants of something bigger. That they had it in them to reach their true potential. All they had to do was train for it. Jiaying had expressed countless times that each person who came to Afterlife was given a guide, someone who would help them mentally and emotionally train for their eventual trip through the Mist. However, it was also stated that only Afterlife's elders, or Jiaying herself, picked one person a year to go through the Mist. It was tradition. There had been a few instances were _no_ _one_ was allowed to go through, due to them not being seen as _ready_. The Mist, from what the twins came to understand, allowed their true potential to be unlocked. It could either give them noticeable physical transformations, or more subtle ones. It was a guessing game. But the twins' guides, and Jiaying, stated that the Mist allowed their people to obtain a sort of balance that was originally missing. Something that was needed to bring about a more equal grounding. Ana herself found it all to be fascinating, but she also had to question why Jiaying had known about the family for so long.

"I have a friend," Jiaying had said, "who specializes in locating those who haven't transformed. He told me about you and your daughters. He believed someone in your family had great potential. I also believe it's my job to help my people learn about their true heritage."

By the twins reached eleven years old, Jiaying had decided one of them was ready to go through the Mist. Malia had been chosen. For Kala, she considered that to be the utmost betrayal. She believed it was _her_ right to change, too. Kala and Malia were twins, they did everything together. Why couldn't they _change_ together? Jiaying had said Kala needed more training, but it, in the young girl's mind, seemed as though something was being kept hidden. That caused even more anger to surge through Kala.

The day Malia was to be sent through the Mist was a ceremonious one. The people in the community wore traditional, formal attire, gathering around to see such a young girl change. Malia's guide had informed her that the Mist would originate from a special crystal called the Terrigen Crystal. That was the only thing in the _world_ that allowed them to reach their full potential. Malia had also seen enough changes to know that after the Mist disappears, the cocoon appears. The cocoon is a dark brown, stone-like layer. It produces from the person's skin, instantly hardening after the area is covered. Some people who underwent the change lasted a couple minutes, others a few hours. There were only a rare few who lasted days or even _weeks_. For Malia, she lasted roughly half an hour. When her cocoon broke off, she felt different. Her skin felt tingly, her insides felt as if they were constantly shifting. She felt uncomfortable in her own skin. The one thing she did notice however was her hair changed. Originally, Malia had hair similar to her mother's - black, thick, with unruly curls. The tips of her hair changed from black to bright pink. The next change she noticed was the pink electric energy that crackled around her hands. In no time at all, the energy started to become unruly. Anything and any _one_ could be inflicted by the power Malia could produce. Buildings were crumbling, people were getting hurt. Jiaying had the eleven year old placed in a specialized room while she spoke to Ana and Kala.

"What happened to her?" Ana cried.

"Every cell in her has changed," Jiaying explained. "Both in her body and her mind."

"I know how the procedure _works_ ," Ana exclaimed sharply. "That doesn't answer my question!"

"If you're wondering what her powers _are_ , then I would say she has the ability to control probability."

Ana's brows furrowed, her mouth hanging open a little.

"I've seen this only once before," Jiaying explained, "years ago with another young Inhuman. He could control luck. With him, he brought good luck upon himself, and bad luck on those around him. For Malia, I would say she brings only bad luck to everything and every _one_ around her."

"Bad luck?" Kala scoffed. " _That's_ her power?"

"It's a rare but serious one," Jiaying said, her tone soothing but scolding. "Left uncontrolled, Malia can destroy everything around her."

The sounds of Malia's cries in the room, the sounds of things breaking and crashing in the room, caused Jiaying and the family to look on in both pity and sympathy.

"I will have Janine train Malia," Jiaying explained. "She is one of our best when it comes to those with powers like this. I will tell Frieda she's done all she can and assign her to a new member."

"You're sure this Janine will be able to help my daughter?" Ana asked, her voice trembling. She held Kala close to her, looking at the door Malia was in with wide, tearful eyes. "Frieda seemed so close with Malia."

"Yes, I believe Janine will be perfect." Jiaying placed a comforting hand on the mother's shoulder. "She's had experience with this before. Her powers are also powerful, they left her feeling terrified, feeling as though she couldn't control herself. Trust me when I say Janine is perfect for this."

"...Okay."

 **0 . 0 . 0 . 0**

Malia couldn't understand what was happening. Her hands were covered in bright pink, electric-like energy. Whatever she touched, or whatever she looked at, or wherever direction her hands were pointed in, something would be destroyed. Or, in the worst case scenario, someone would get hurt. Malia couldn't understand it. She'd seen the transformation countless times, she knew that some people had harder times accepting their powers than others, but Malia couldn't imagine hers being so destructive. She always imagined hers being something _cool_ , like mind-reading, precognition, or telekinesis. Not...destruction. Looking down at her hands again, Malia felt another surge of fear wash over her as the pink coloration, those tendrils of electricity, seemed to glow brighter and become more intense. Throwing her hands out, Malia let out a shriek as waves of energy hit a nearby wall, causing it to crack. The room itself was starting to fall apart, cracks to the walls, ground, and ceiling were causing the structure to crumble. Chunks of the ceiling were falling on the ground, dust was flying into Malia's face.

When the door to the room opened, a feeling of dread washed over Malia. The energy around her hands hadn't dissipated, not even for a little while. The overwhelming sense of fear that remained in her body only intensified at the sound of that door opening.

"Malia Kensington." It was a woman's voice. Younger than Frieda's, Malia's old guide. "My name is Janine Thompson. I've been assigned by Jiaying to help you."

Turning her head slightly, Malia looked at Janine. She had to be somewhere in her late twenties or early thirties. She had blonde hair, pinned up out of her face, styled in the current fashion. Janine's eyes were brown, her face soft, but her voice was loud and firm.

"W-What happened to Frieda?" Malia asked.

"She's being reassigned to a new member," Janine stated. "I'll help you through your transitioning. I've done this plenty of times before."

Taking a shaky breath, Malia brought her hands in, slowly curling her fingers into fists. Tears sprung in her eyes at the thought of not having Frieda with her anymore. She had been Malia's closest friend, the biggest influence in her life when it came to her Inhumanity. Frieda had been an older woman from Spain, one who'd embraced her Inhuman culture decades before. Malia learned so much from her, so it broke her heart knowing she'd be reassigned.

"Don't worry, okay?" Janine's voice became soft. "I'll help you through this. I just need you to trust me."

"How can I _trust_ you?" Malia hissed. The energy around her hands became brighter, the electricity starting to run up her wrists, as well.

"Because I've been in your position before. Please, Malia, let me help you."

* * *

 **6 Years Later**

* * *

It had been six years since Malia Kensington unlocked her true Inhuman nature. Since she reached her full potential. In those years, with plenty of visits to Afterlife, she came to fully control her abilities with the help of Janine. It had been a hard transition, but it worked in the end. Janine proved to be a good teacher, one who was patient but firm. She gave Malia advice on how to further keep herself further in check emotionally and mentally. She gave tips on how to harness her abilities and when to appropriately use them. While Janine expressed that Malia's abilities should never be used unless completely necessary, Malia believed she should use her powers if someone absolutely deserved it. She was able to inflict bad luck onto others, she could use her powers on those who were inflicting pain on others. Janine had been quick to shoot that way of thinking down. And as Malia got older, she came to realize that her initial way of looking at her abilities had been both disturbing and extremely inappropriate. Janine, Frieda, even Jiaying, taught incoming and outgoing Inhumans that their lives should be kept a secret. The rest of the world wouldn't be ready for the realization of enhanced individuals. Inhuman safety always came first. And with that, keeping Afterlife a secret. If humans found the Inhuman sanctuary, God only knows what kind of destruction would happen.

So, by the time Malia turned seventeen, she came to embrace her Inhuman nature and everything that came with it. Her powers were under her control, she could live her life in a healthy manner. She could be _happy_. The only problem was Kala. In the six years since Malia's transformation, Jiaying continuously denied Kala her chance to change. There were many factors that led to the decision. One of them being Kala's resentment and jealousy over Malia's change. Being twins, the two usually did everything together. But when Jiaying only allowed _Malia_ the chance to change, it left Kala feeling left out; _inferior_. The thoughts festered and built up into intense negativity that just wouldn't go away. Kala's guide, Aiden, expressed great concern for her. He'd told Jiaying he believed she should be denied her "birthright", but Afterlife's leader wanted the child to have a chance. Kala could have it in her to let go of her negativity, to move forward and finally claim what belonged to her. But in the years that followed, that never happened. Ana, Malia, and Jiaying continued to witness Kala's downward spiral, and, by the time the duo were seventeen, Ana had to remove her youngest daughter from Afterlife. No progress had been made to heal her emotionally. There was no point in them staying. Malia, on the other hand, tried to visit as frequently as possible. Since her abilities were under control, she didn't have to go back as often as before. But she tried when she had the chance.

But, for the first time since moving to Brooklyn, the Kensington family found themselves not going to the Inhuman sanctuary. They were spending the summer with Victor, Ana's husband and the twins' stepfather. They were going to do normal things that normal families typically did. It was a big step forward for them. Well, _almost_ all of them.

"Kal, are you ready to go?" Malia called. It was a warm summer day. Ana and Victor had gone off to work for the day, leaving the twins to take care of the daily tasks. For Malia, she made deliveries for local stores in the area on top of working as a seamstress. Kala worked as a house cleaner.

"Why don't you just _go_?" Kala snapped, her voice muffled by a closed door. The twins shared a bedroom, since the apartment wasn't all that big. "I don't need you waiting for me all the time."

"You're my sister, it's important that we go together."

"I'm seventeen, I'm not a child."

"That doesn't matter. I'm older so it's my job to make sure you're okay."

"You're older by twelve minutes."

"And?"

"Just _go_ , Mal, I don't need you."

With a huff, Malia stormed over to the bedroom and tried wiggling the doorknob. The door wouldn't open. "You do know I can break this door down," she called. "Don't make me do that, especially to Victor."

"I'm getting _dressed_."

"Well hurry up. I can't afford to be late."

"You won't be late if you'd just _leave_ , Malia."

Growling in frustration, Malia slammed her fist on the door. "Fine," she snapped. "I'll stop by Madam Eppinette's at the end of my shift to make sure you showed up." Storming to the front door, Malia grabbed all her items before heading out. She wasn't about to lose her job because her sister was being difficult.

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 _ **What'd you guys think? Hopefully it wasn't too much. If you guys see anything in this first chapter that could use improvement, don't hesitate to let me know, okay? I'd greatly appreciate it.**_

 _ **Also, nothing in the MCU belongs to me. All I own are my OCs and the subplots I put in. If you've got ideas for OCs or subplots, don't hesitate to let me know, okay? Reviewer contribution can be really important. At least, that's what I think.**_

 ** _Like I said before, let me know what could use improvement. If I'm not told what's bothering or confusing you guys, I won't know to change it. Also, that kind of feedback can help me improve as a writer. So it'll be really important to me that I get whatever feedback you guys can provide._**

 ** _On that note, I'll wrap this author's note up!_**

 ** _Be kind to one another. Don't drink and drive._**

 ** _See you on the flip side._**

 ** _Daisy J_**


	2. Chapter 2

_Feels like I'm waking from the dead_  
 _And everyone's been waitin' on me_  
 _Least now I'll never have to wonder_  
 _What it's like to sleep a year away_  
 _But were we indestructible_  
 _I thought that we could brave it all_  
 _I never thought that what would take me out_  
 _Was hiding down below_

-Now; **from Paramore**

* * *

Kala Kensington was a difficult person. Malia understood that. It was _accepting_ that little characteristic that was difficult. The twins' relationship was strained, and that was putting it lightly. The main reason their relationship wasn't doing well was because Malia was allowed to go through the Mist and Kala was denied. Jiaying stated her reasons for the decisions she made on the twins, and she stood by them without a second thought. That was one of the reasons why she was both respected and hated by many people in Afterlife. For the most part, Jiaying only allowed one person a year to change, and it had to be someone either _she_ picked out or by one of Afterlife's elders. If someone believed they were ready to undergo the Mist, but Jiaying saw them as unfit, then they'd be denied passage. It was a long, complicated process. One that required a lot of explanation, a lot of arguing, and a lot of persuading. Many of Afterlife's residents chose to leave because they believed their "birthright" was being taken from them. And that was a major part of their culture. Everyone in their community believed achieving their full, genetic potential was their birthright, and they deserved it whether they were ready or not. But with someone like _Jiaying_ in charge, it was almost impossible for something like that to take place. She believed in tradition, a very strict tradition. Rules had to be set into place, as did boundaries. No one was allowed to freely transform without proper preparation. No one was allowed to openly display their newfound abilities to the outside world. No one was allowed to speak of Afterlife to ordinary humans. Jiaying wanted structure, which was why so many respected her. But there were always those who saw her as uptight, as someone who "didn't know what she was talking about".

In Malia's mind, Jiaying was a very trustworthy woman. She helped Ana and her children understand their true heritage. They owed her so much. How _any_ one could think she was anything but good was beyond Malia's understanding.

Letting out a huff, Malia tried adjusting the items in her arms. On that day, she'd be focusing more on her seamstress job than anything else. For the past three years, Malia worked in a clothing alterations business. It was owned by a family friend of the Kensingtons, which was why Malia got hired in the first place. The job itself didn't pay too well, but it was better than nothing. When it became obvious the earnings from the alterations business wouldn't be enough to help the family financially, that was when Malia decided to pick up another job delivering. It added a little extra money, which Victor and Ana appreciated.

 _Let's just hope I'm not too late,_ Malia thought bitterly. Tabitha, the owner of the alterations business, wasn't fond of employees running late. In her mind, it set everyone back, which put sales back. Timeliness had everything running effectively. Those were Tabitha's main beliefs when it came to her business. Sadly, when Malia tried adjusting her items again, as she was turning a street corner, she found herself practically slamming into someone else. The force of it knocked Malia almost on her back, which had her drop all of her things. Letting out a quiet curse, the seventeen year old quickly scurried onto her hands and knees and tried gathering all her things.

"God, I'm sorry." It was a man's voice, and even though Malia made no attempt to actually _look_ at him, she did notice him kneel down to help her. "I wasn't paying any attention."

"Don't," Malia grumbled, trying to shove his hands away. She noticed how large his hands were compared to hers, which made her scowl. "I've got this, I'm already running late."

"I ran into _you_ ; the least I can do is help." It was obvious by the tone of his voice that he was smirking. And it also didn't go unnoticed there was a level of cockiness in his voice, as well. From what Malia could comprehend in that moment, with her mind racing and her hands hurriedly trying to gather her belongings, she could tell he was rather comfortable talking to women - whether it be flirting or otherwise. But she would, without a doubt, think he preferred flirting more than anything. "Come on, doll, let me help you."

With the scowl still on her face, Malia looked up at him. He was young, maybe around her age, if not a little older. His dark brown hair was slicked back and his blue eyes twinkled at her with humor. To go along with a cleft chin was a smirk on his face, one that Malia found to be annoying. Whoever he was, he seemed to think he could do whatever he pleased with women. With a smirk and a few nice words, that could probably happen, but Malia had better things to do than interact with someone like _him_.

"You've done enough." Malia's voice was firm, leaving no room for arguing. Gathering up the rest of her things, she quickly put them back where they belonged before standing up. For a brief moment, the humor in his eyes went away before another emotion replaced it. Once he was on his feet, he gave Malia an apologetic smile, but her focus wasn't on him anymore. It was only when she was on her feet that she noticed the man she ran into had a friend. He was smaller, skinny and a bit pale. His dirty blonde hair was slicked back as well, and his blue eyes looked at her curiously. Malia could tell he was the more humble one, not one to blatantly flirt with any woman he came across. "If you'll excuse me, I'm extremely late."

"Don't I at least get a name?" The man she ran into arched a brow at her, a hint of the smirk returning to his lips.

Studying his face closely, Malia scoffed, shaking her head. "I don't think so," she replied. With that, she made her way around the duo and continued her journey to work.

 **0 . 0 . 0 . 0**

Bucky had to admit - he was interested. Never had a girl rejected him in that fashion before. Sure, there'd been a few girls here and there who voiced their disinterest, but they'd never done it with such attitude. For Bucky, it fascinated him. And given from where she came from, she had to live somewhere close to his apartment. Maybe she even resided in the same apartment building Bucky and his family lived in! But if she did, he would've noticed her sooner. He had a good relationship with most of the people in his building, considering his social nature.

"What's that look for?" The sound of Steve's voice snapped Bucky out of his thoughts. Obviously, the smaller of the pair would notice a sudden change in his friend. It wasn't that hard to notice.

With a smirk, Bucky looked down at Steve, shoving his hands in his pockets. "She's certainly got a mouth on her," he claimed.

"No, Buck." The firmness in Steve's voice didn't go unnoticed. "She's not interested, leave her alone."

"I didn't even _say_ anything."

"But you were _thinking_ it. That's even worse."

Bucky let out a playful snort. Leave it to little Steve Rogers to stick up for a girl they didn't even know. Acting gentlemanly and all chivalrous was in the little guy's nature. He couldn't just sit by and let any poor dame get bothered and harassed by anyone. The day Steve Rogers didn't pick a fight with anyone who went against his beliefs would be a day when hell freezes over. Bucky sure as hell knew that. He'd intervened in plenty of fights initiated by Steve.

"Look, I doubt I'll ever see her again," Bucky exclaimed. "All I'm saying is she's an interesting dame. That's all."

A look swept across Steve's face.

"I promise, Steve, I won't do anything," Bucky sighed. "I highly doubt I'll ever see her again."

 **0 . 0 . 0 . 0**

"You're late." Tabitha's booming voice echoed through her shop, causing Malia to flinch a little. In the years since the seventeen year old starting working, she'd never been late to a single shift. Tabitha always acknowledged Malia's importance to being on time. It was something Ana and Victor were aware and very proud of. But that didn't excuse the fact that even the most timely people could run late. And, because Malia ran late, she had to face the consequences of Tabitha's annoyance and possibly foul mood.

"Yes, I know," Malia exclaimed, dumping her materials on the back table. While Tabitha's shop did have a majority of the necessary materials needed to make things, there were a few things she couldn't afford and required her employees to bring on a daily basis. They were mostly simple things, like extra needles or fabric, measuring utensils, as well. "It was a hectic morning, it won't happen again."

"I like you Mali," Tabitha huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "You're a hard-worker and I absolutely adore your parents. But just because I'm a family friend doesn't mean you can start slacking in your duties."

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Malia just nodded silently. She knew better than to talk back. Tabitha enjoyed a good argument now and again. She was known for holding nothing back in her words. Malia had seen it plenty of times when it came to certain unruly customers or uncooperative employees. When it came to arguments, everything anyone said was wrong, no matter if it was true or not. Tabitha was always right and the sooner people understood that, the better off they'd be.

"Natalia will be starting her shift in the next half our," Tabitha explained, the annoyance still lacing her words. "I expect your tasks to be done by the time she comes in. You know how particular she is."

"Of course."

"I have a list of everything that you need to get started on." Some flimsy sheets of paper were slammed onto Malia's work-space. An almost challenging look was in Tabitha's eyes as she regarded her employee. On more than one occasion, Malia would've given anything to tell her boss a piece of her mind, but she needed the job. There had been times where using her bad luck abilities seemed like a good idea, but, again, the job was important. Victor needed all the help he could get. He was behind on rent and needed the extra money to also bring in food and medication. His sister had contracted polio, and she was to come live with him in the coming week. For the Kensingtons, the new living arrangements would be more problematic. The apartment itself wasn't big, and having Victor's sister living with them would create a lot of tension. Ana, Malia, and Kala hadn't been accepted by the Kensingtons, due to their racial background. Having Romani and native Hawaiian heritage proved to be too much of a burden for the family, but Victor managed to look beyond that. He married Ana, despite his family's protests, and became a father-figure to the twins. And the only reason his sister, Marguerite, was coming to stay with them was because no other member of the Kensington family had the time or room for her. Victor had been a last-resort for Marguerite.

"Three dress orders?" Malia looked over Tabitha's list, her brows furrowing slightly. "How am I supposed to get three dress orders ready by the time Natalia gets here?"

"You're a smart girl," Tabitha exclaimed. "I'm sure you'll figure it out."

With a sigh, Malia nodded. Nothing was going to get done if she just sat around complaining all day.

 **0 . 0 . 0 . 0**

Kala loved Malia. It was true. They were sisters, blood-related. There was not a single thing on God's green Earth Kala wouldn't do for her sister. But there was just one problem. There was that resentment, that jealousy, rooted deep in Kala. Those feelings that arose due to Malia being given permission to go through the Mist. It didn't seem fair that Jiaying would only allow _one_ twin to transform. It was like she didn't understand just how important the sisters' relationship was. Malia and Kala did everything together, so it was only assumed they'd transform together, too. But _hearing_ Jiaying say that the reason Kala hadn't been allowed to transform was because she _wasn't_ _ready_ seemed like complete bullshit. How could _any_ one know when they're ready? How did _Jiaying_ know when the Inhumans were? There could've been countless transformed Inhumans who put up a facade in order to gain their abilities. It didn't seem fair that the good, hard-working ones were denied their birthright due to the negligence of the leader.*

But not only was Kala upset with her sister, along with Jiaying, she was also upset with her mother. Ana had removed her youngest daughter from Afterlife, stating that, since little improvement had been made in Kala's emotional state, there was no point in staying. That had been infuriating. It was one thing to see Malia go through the Mist, it was another to be rejected for _six_ _years_ , but having to be physically removed from Afterlife? It seemed ridiculous. Kala was _furious_ when Ana did that. How could her mother do such a thing? It seemed treacherous! Ana had tried on multiple occasions to explain why she did what she did, but Kala just refused to listen. It didn't matter what state she was in emotionally, what mattered was Kala's continual denial of transformation. Ever since she found out about her Inhuman status, she _dreamt_ of the day she could gain her powers. If she underwent the Mist, what would she get? Would they be powerful, or mediocre? Would they be something no other Inhuman had before? Kala imagined herself gaining precognition. Jiaying stated she'd never encountered a transformed Inhuman with future sight. Kala wanted to be the first one to obtain that power. But because of the constant refusal, she would never know what her powers would be. In Afterlife, Jiaying kept the Terrigen Crystals under constant security, so it would've been impossible to steal them. That was obviously out of the question. So, it seemed as though leaving was the best solution.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Kala ran a hand through her hair. Unlike Ana and Malia, who both had a head full of thick, unruly curls, Kala had thin, wavy hair. That seemed to be the one physical characteristic to tell the sisters apart before - other than that, they were very identical. But, now with Malia having undergone the Mist, there was a little change in hair color as well. The tips of Malia's hair turned bright pink. Not only that, whenever she used her abilities, her usually bright green eyes would turn pink, too, accompanied by the pink energy and electricity that surrounded Malia's hands. Scowling, Kala tried to push the thoughts from her mind. She couldn't afford to think like that, not when she had work to do. It was a particularly busy day, and falling behind was not good. Madam Eppinette was a very strict woman, helping her husband run a very successful business in the Brooklyn area. The couple had come from France, hoping to start a new life for themselves in America. For the looks of it, they seemed to be doing amazing. All Kala had to do was focus on her tasks, and less on her shortcomings, and maybe the day could go by a little faster.

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 _ **Sorry for the delay on this chapter. School's been kicking my butt lately. The one good thing is I've had the last couple days off work, so I could focus on homework and the like. Anyway, let me know what you think of these first two chapters! Constructive criticism is always important. Don't hesitate to do so. I won't know how to improve if I don't know what's bothering you guys.**_

 _ **Nothing in the MCU belongs to me. All I own are my OCs and the subplots I put in. If you've got ideas for OCs or subplots, don't hesitate to PM me or just leave a review. I'll add them in as soon as possible!**_

 _ **Leave a random fact on something you know or recently learned.**_

 _ **For me, and you guys may or may not know this already, but I read somewhere that Avengers 4 will be more shocking than Infinity War. I don't know. That's probably a stupid example. Whatever. Either way, if you've got a random fact that you'd like to share, by all means do so. I'd like to read some of the little, or big, things you guys know.**_

 _ **Be kind to one another. Don't drink and drive.**_

 _ **See you on the flip side.**_

 ** _Daisy J_**


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